Lake Oroville could rise to 780-785 feet by the end of the month, nearing the 813 foot threshold

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Construction crews work Thursday near the Oroville Dam spillway in Oroville. The state Department of Water Resources does not expect to use the spillway anytime soon, but says it is preparing to have the new structure cleared if Lake Oroville reaches 780 feet elevation. (Matt Bates — Enterprise Record)

A view of Lake Oroville on Thursday. The State Water Project’s largest reservoir, Lake Oroville is being kept low, at 78 percent of average capacity, even though the snowpack is 146 percent of average and water allocations have been raised to 35 percent. (Matt Bates — Enterprise Record)

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OROVILLE — The state Department of Water Resources does not expect to need to operate the Oroville Dam spillway anytime soon but is preparing in the event that it is necessary.

Lake Oroville, currently at 773-foot elevation, could rise to 780-785 feet by the end of the month based on current projections. DWR and crews with Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., the contractor for the spillways construction project, would remove equipment from the main spillway if the lake elevation reached 780 feet.

The spillway can’t be used until the water reaches its gates at 813 feet. If water does reach that level, it doesn’t necessarily mean the structure will be used, DWR said in a press release sent Thursday.

“Releases are based on available flood storage, environmental needs, and water deliveries,” the release reads.

More water allocations

Meanwhile, the department just announced it was increasing State Water Project allocations from 15 percent, decided last month, up to 35 percent. This means that State Water Project contractors south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta may receive 35 percent of their requests for the 2019 calendar year. Allocations are reviewed monthly and finalized typically by May.

“Recent storms boosted California’s snowpack and total precipitation well above average, which allows us to have a more abundant water supply allocation,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth in a press release. “Although we’ve got more water in the system now, we must always manage our precious resources with tomorrow’s climate uncertainties in mind.”

Lake Oroville, the largest reservoir of the State Water Project, has been managed conservatively with public safety in mind as work continues on the spillways, according to DWR. It is at 53 percent of capacity and 78 percent of average. Most state reservoirs are at or above their average capacity for this time of year and the Sierra Nevada snowpack statewide is around 146 percent of average.